Move over, McSteamy! McKiwi is here, and he may be even hunkier. Here are 6 things you need to know about Henderson.
It was nice knowing ya, McDreamy! Turns out, there’s a new surgeon in town, and he’s about to make hearts flutter at Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital.
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Martin Henderson made his debut on Thursday night’s episode of Grey’s Anatomy, and the dimpled doctor has already been described by his co-star, Ellen Pompeo, as a “very hot, very nice man.”
You may already recognize him from his big screen roles in 2002's The Ring and September's Everest, but here are the real vitals on Grey’s latest hunk.
1. He’s from New Zealand, but you've seen him in America plenty of times.
Henderson is from New Zealand, aka Middle Earth, but, no, he has not appeared in The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings franchises. He was born and bred in Auckland, where he launched his acting career at the age of 13 in a local television production called Strangers. While he isn't a School of Peter Jackson graduate, Henderson still holds a prized place in the hearts of many Kiwis due to his role as Stuart Neilson on Shortland Street.
The medical soap has been running for 23 years and is considered a rite of passage for many New Zealand actors, and Henderson became a household name and teen pin-up in his homeland during its early years. Crossing the Tasman, he settled in Sydney and starred in the Australian series, Home and Away and Echo Point, before moving to the U.S. in 1997.
2. He’s fully qualified for TV medicine -- thanks to Shonda Rhimes.
Henderson's last major TV role came in the short-lived 2011 medical show, Off the Map, which was also created by Grey’s showrunner, Shonda Rhimes. In the series, he played a doctor working in a South American jungle and was often compared to the one-and-only McDreamy, Patrick Dempsey. He then starred in another Rhimes vehicle, the Washington, D.C.-set drama, Inside The Box, but the pilot didn't get picked up by ABC. Thanks to some Shondaland grooming, the 41-year-old actor should be well-equipped for his role on Grey’s.
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3. He made out with Britney Spears.
Remember the stubbled, well-dressed hottie being hurled around the bedroom in Spears’ 2004 music video for her hit song, “Toxic”? In the video, Spears plays a femme fatale on a mission to get her hands on a vial of green liquid so that she can poison her cheating ex, who is played by none other than Henderson.
4. He’s a Bollywood star.
Why stop at Hollywood when Bollywood beckons? Henderson played William Darcy in 2004’s Bride and Prejudice, the Indian film adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, where he busted out some solid dance moves alongside Indian acting royalty, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan.
5. He was besties with Heath Ledger.
Henderson was friends and roommates with the late Australian actor, Heath Ledger, who died in January 2008. In the early years of their acting careers, the pair lived together in Sydney. Henderson told NW magazine that during their stint in Australia, they enjoyed their fair share of “girls and beer and parties,” and Ledger even taught him how to surf.
By the time Henderson moved to Los Angeles, after completing a two-year training program at New York’s Neighborhood Playhouse, Ledger had landed his big break alongside Mel Gibson in 2000's The Patriot. Ledger helped Henderson through his early days as a struggling, broke Hollywood actor, even objectid=10420837" target="_blank">lending Henderson some of his earnings from The Patriot so his pal could remain in the U.S. to pursue his acting dreams.
6. He has a dog named Sam.
Henderson has one great love who makes a frequent appearance on his Instagram -- his dog, Sam. The adorable pup is frequently by the actor’s side, whether it’s exploring the mountains in North Carolina, celebrating Thanksgiving in Santa Fe or, most recently, filming in Atlanta. “Not sure what I did to deserve such an incredible companion but thank you God!” Henderson captioned an Instagram post of his cute canine in August.
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Catch Henderson on Grey’s Anatomy on Thursdays nights on ABC at 8/7c.